Samuel Adams opens new taproom

BOSTON – For years, the Samuel Adams Brewery in Jamaica Plain was one of the top tourist destinations in Boston, with millions of people visiting each year.

But, one thing was missing – you couldn’t enjoy a pint of your favorite Samuel Adams beer. They only allowed samples.

That has now changed. Last week, Samuel Adams opened its brand-new taproom at its 30 Germania St. brewery. Now visitors can tour the brewery, taste samples and drink full pints or flights of several of their favorite brews.

“It’s awesome. It’s a great space,” said Brewery Manager Jennifer Glanville. “ I really designed the space I want to hang out in. I hang out at a lot of taprooms. This has a lot of casual seating, communal tables. Shuffleboard. We’ll have food trucks. We want people to help determine what’s in here.”

The taproom is next to the retail store inside the brewery. It opens to the beer garden. The taproom holds up to 80 people comfortably and, when weather allows, the beer garden can seat another 100 patrons.

The taproom currently has 10 beers on tap, but can have up to 20, Glanville said. Like many taprooms, the brewery will have a mixture of the brewery’s popular beers, as well as one-off or experimental beers.

“It’s exciting for us to really engage the people,” said Glanville. “The beer drinker today is so much more willing to try different things. When people come here, they’ll be able to try beers we’ve never brewed before, or something we may never brew again.”

Beers currently on tap include Samuel Adams' original beer, the Boston Lager, as well as the popular seasonal, Winter Lager. Other beers include the American Kriek and Winter Stout, as well as the New England IPA, which won’t be available in stores until sometime next year.

They also have a dedicated nitro line, which serves the beer using nitrogen rather than the typical carbon dioxide. They also have what is known as the “Rebel Rotator,” which will be dedicated to various IPAs.

“We’ve been working on a table beer,” said Glanville. “The chance of that being released is pretty slim because there doesn’t seem to be a market for it, but we can release it here. When you have a taproom like this, you can really educate people on different styles.”

Along with bottles of beer to go, Samuel Adams will be selling Crowlers, or 32-ounce cans, that are filled to go with the beer of your choice.

In the future, Samuel Adams plans to have live music and trivia nights in the taproom.

Along with the taproom, Samuel Adams has opened the “Bier Keller,” in another building in the same complex. The Bier Keller is used to hold non-soured barrel- and wood-aged beers.

Twice a week, they host the Bier Keller Experience where people can get a tour of the Bier Keller and try three of the exclusive beers, paired with various cheeses.

“What we’re seeing is people will come in and do the regular tour and then do the Bier Keller Experience, and then come and have a couple of pints in the taproom,” said Glanville. “You want to offer things that people are interested in doing. We want to continue to be a destination, and we want people from the neighborhood to have a place to come.”

The Samuel Adams taproom is open 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

Norman Miller is a Daily News staff writer. Email him at nmiller@wickedlocal.com or call 508-626-3823. Check out the Beer Nut blog at http://www.metrowestdailynews.com/section/blogs01?taxid=646&start=2. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram @RealBeerNut and on Facebook at facebook.com/NormanMillerBeerNut.